The foundation announced on Monday, Nov. 4, that it is working with Graduate Hotels to develop the I Promise Village by Graduate Hotels to create a place to stay for students of the I Promise School and their families who may be facing homelessness, domestic violence and other unforeseen circumstances, according to a news release.

The housing will be a few blocks away from the school in the Westmont apartment building on West Market Street, a foundation spokeswoman said. The building currently has 22 units, but that number might change pending plans to create communal space, she said.

Graduate Hotels will lead and fund the renovation work, she said while declining to specify the project's cost. Work will begin immediately, and the village should be ready by July 2020, the release said.

James' foundation and the Akron Public Schools opened the I Promise School, which offers a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum for at-risk children, in 2018. The school serves about 340 children in third through fifth grade, and also offers support services to students' families.

"Initially, our work was focused on helping these kids earn an education," said James, an Akron native and NBA superstar now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, in the release. "But we've found that it is impossible to help them learn if they are struggling to survive — if they are hungry, if they have no heat in the freezing winter, if they live in fear for their safety. We want this place to be their home where they feel safe, supported and loved, knowing we are right there with them every step of the way as they get back on their feet."

Graduate Hotels is owned by Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners, a Chicago-based real estate developer, owner and operator. The company operates 21 hotels across the country, with an additional dozen slated to open in 2020, according to the release. The furnishings and style of the I Promise Village will "preserve and represent the spirit of the Akron community and the I Promise program," the release stated.